as in hopeless
emphasizing or expecting the worst
a downbeat prediction for the company's sales performance in the upcoming year
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as in downturn
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downbeat
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 13 May 2025
This underperformance can be attributed to a downbeat Q4 report and a pessimistic outlook shared by the company in February, which negatively impacted investor sentiment.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Cox was a bit more downbeat on the new law of the land.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Adjective
His father was a mostly unsuccessful lawyer, a downbeat man who also worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster and judge.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 13 May 2025
This underperformance can be attributed to a downbeat Q4 report and a pessimistic outlook shared by the company in February, which negatively impacted investor sentiment.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
The move came as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Trump’s tariffs would have a major negative impact on the U.S. economy, downbeat remarks that sent stocks sharply lower in afternoon trading.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Cox was a bit more downbeat on the new law of the land.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downbeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downbeat
Adjective
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All seemed hopeless for Moore and Mansell, until, out of the blue, a lawyer with the Office of the White House Counsel contacted Moore’s defense lawyers, Seitles and Litwin-Diego, in April to inquire about the case.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
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The longtime psych-rock staple co-wrote the album with filmmaker Matt Yoka to be a collection of American stories about hopeless kleptomaniacs, urban explorers, and other people who slip through the cracks.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The downturn in the property sector has led to more non-performing loans, subsequently squeezing net interest margins due to lower lending rates and a slowdown in loan demand.—
Sergei Klebnikov,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Parker’s firm identified Altria as a stock that works in market downturns, but which also has good price momentum and a cheap valuation relative to its history.—
John Melloy,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The British showrunner of that blisteringly cynical drama spent five years and 39 episodes giving us a portrait of filthy rich people pulling strings and behaving badly.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2025
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But the message at the heart of Isle of Dogs, that saving others is the only way to save one’s self, is enough to turn the most cynical viewer into a believer—and maybe even a dog lover.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
The question rates asking in consideration of the popular belief inside the Fed that economic slowdowns push down prices.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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The indications of a slowdown in global travel, paired with ongoing economic uncertainty, are resulting in some bargain international and domestic airfares.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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CEOs’ responses were pessimistic about many business factors.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Still, some scholars remain pessimistic about the odds of deciphering khipus with any certainty.—
Sam Kean,
The Atlantic,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The New York Jets enter the 2025-26 NFL season on the downswing and in need of more help, especially on the offensive end.—
Seth Quinn,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
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Other sectors on the downswing: Professional and business services, down 3,900; retail, down 2,000; financial activities, down 1,300; information, down 1,100, and construction, down 600.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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At the same time, others who attended this year’s California Democratic Party Convention dismissed any notion that the future of the Democratic Party is bleak.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
31 May 2025
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The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who’s said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Noun
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In the world of franchising, where consistency and scalability are paramount, operational efficiency can mean the difference between stagnation and exponential growth.—
Gigi Schweikert,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Past experience with post-conflict reconstruction around the world shows that transparency and inclusivity in government decision-making are the best antidotes to corruption, economic stagnation, and other common maladies in recovering countries.—
Natasha Hall,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downbeat. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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